The IPParalegal Institute began in May of 1985 as VMA Consulting, a pioneering IP services outsourcing firm. VMA was born from client requests for the Institute's founder to freelance her prowess at fixing mistakes that historically could not be fixed. With a front row seat to many astounding breakthrough technologies and scientific discoveries during the 1980s, VMA Consulting's reputation grew for its unique and value-added contributions toward protecting many of them.

As clients thrived their paralegals (legal assistants), secretaries and docketing clerks went in search of IP prosecution training to keep up. At the time Intellectual Property prosecution was viewed as somewhat of an irreverent cult in GP firms. In fact, nonlawyer education for the discipline did not exist.

IP was largely ignored in the NALA's general practice CLA program, while associate and undergradate degrees in Paralegal Studies (also gp) remained decades away. So in 1990, providing IP technical education became an integral part of VMA Consulting's repertoire.

By 1992, demand for VMA's expertise increased to the extent where critical administration decisions were forthcoming. After four years of due diligence and planning, VMA Consulting expanded into IPParalegals in 1996.

In 1997 IPParalegals successfully authored, published and implemented the industry's first IP Paralegal knowledge test for Winstead, Sechrist & Minnick. It was created to help evaluate applicants on their technical knowledge of patent and trademark prosecution. The core proprietary technology that enabled this IP paralegal knowledge test became the foundation for what is now the IPParalegal Institute's Student Evaluation & Assessment System (SEAS).

By 2005 IPParalegals had a full IP Paralegal Certificate Course in place. The first of its kind, the IPParalegal Certificate Course consisted of:

a 1st semester 32-hour course in U.S patent filing & prosecution

a 2nd semester 32-hour course in PCT filing & prosecution

a 3rd semester 32-hour course in foreign patent filing, and

a 4th semester 24-hour course in trademark filing and prosecution.

Today, with the proliferation of social and collaborative multimedia communications, the Institute's original IP Paralegal Certificate Course has been chiseled from its original 120 hours down to a leaner and meaner 94 hours ... allowing the IPParalegal Institute to meet the education needs of IP industry professionals worldwide.